Graham Onions removed both Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, England’s likely numbers five and six for the first Test against New Zealand, as he tore through Yorkshire’s batting on the way to five wickets which thrusts him further into Ashes contention.

The competition for England seam-bowling positions is intense and – a day after Tim Bresnan had shone with four wickets – Onions looked desperate not to be upstaged. This sort of competition for places helps makes Ashes summers special. England selector James Whitaker was present and had certainly picked the right match for national team sub-plots.

Onions, whose last Test was against the West Indies at Edgbaston in June, said that he can get even better – and is refusing to become over-excited.

“My ambition is to play for England, but I’ve done plenty of carrying the drinks and I’m enjoying my time here at Durham,” said the seamer, who finished with five for 63 for 19 overs. “If I keep in putting performances in then I won’t be far off. I’ve been guilty in the past of maybe looking too far ahead. It’s a case of just taking each innings at a time.

“If I’m being brutally honest, I would have liked to have bowled a little bit better. I still bowled a few four-balls. If I can rule those out, I’ll be doing all right.”

The four-balls were more than compensated for by the wicket balls. Root and Bairstow were together at the crease at the belated start of the day’s play – after Onions’ dismissal of Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale on the last ball of day one – and the Durham seamer made sure that both batsmen failed to make hay. Root added 19 to his overnight 30, while Bairstow departed for 16.

Onions bowled Root with a delivery that kept low as the 22-year-old played defensively and allowed the ball to creep under his bat. Bairstow was then tempted and snared by Durham’s tactics.

With the leg-side field having just been pushed finer, Onions delivered the ball wide of off stump, setting Bairstow up for the hook, which he attempted – and picked out the fielder at deep square leg. “If he’d have got hold of that, it probably would have cleared the ropes,” Onions said, highlighting the fine margins. “They were just about to set some foundations. To get those two wickets very quickly was good, getting us momentum.”

The conditions were helpful - overcast and breezy - but Onions exploited them on a pitch that is responsive to his style. This ground is the venue for the fourth Test against Michael Clarke’s men.

After Onions’ removal of the two England batsmen, Gary Ballance fell to a softer dismissal soon afterwards, chasing a wide delivery and nicking to Phil Mustard, bringing Bresnan to the crease and he battled hard to keep Onions at bay. The Yorkshire all-rounder played an anchor role to Adil Rashid, who scored a punchy 25 before falling lbw to a delivery that darted back from Ben Stokes, the Durham player sent home from the England Lions tour in the winter for disciplinary reasons.

Yorkshire were reeling, but Bresnan then chose to play an attacking shot, chasing a delivery from Chris Rushworth and nicking to Paul Collingwood at first slip. Stokes wrapped up the tail, finishing with three for 26, as the visiting side slumped conceded a first-innings deficit of 60.